Rhopalocera Infestation
by Burning Beaker
Summary: Scenes from the romance of Ensign Naomi Wildman and Lt. Junior Grade Icheb
1. The Request

"You wanted to see me?" Captain Janeway asked, looking up from the console on her desk. Lieutenant Junior Grade Icheb stepped further into the room, allowing the doors to close.

"Yes, Captain," he said, carefully handing her the PADD he'd been gripping since he left his quarters.

"What's this?" Captain Janeway asked, gesturing with the PADD as she reached for her mug of coffee.

"It is a formal request for permission to pursue a personal relationship with a fellow officer, Captain," Icheb intoned, reciting from the Personnel Manual.

"'Personal relationship'?" Captain Janeway raised her eyebrows and took a sip of coffee, "How personal are we talking?"

Icheb shifted his weight from foot to foot for a moment and folded his hands behind his back. Squaring his shoulders, he pulled himself into a more official posture and answered, "A romantic relationship, Captain. With-"

"Ensign Naomi Wildman," Captain Janeway finished for him, smirking.

"Y-yes, Captain," Icheb said, surprised by how quickly she had assimilated the information on the PADD. He hadn't seen her looking at it.

Captain Janeway appraised him for a moment, presumably trying to determine if he had earned the right. Then she turned her gaze to the PADD. Calmly sipping her coffee, she quickly scanned the PADD's contents.

"Everything seems in order, Lieutenant Junior Grade," she said. Icheb detected a slight raising of the left corner of her mouth, which was pressed together tightly. He seemed to recall this occurring shortly before she released a laugh. Generally the laughter was restrained until the source of the humor was no longer present. Icheb wondered what the source for this apparent laugh might be. Strange.

Once Captain Janeway had officially signed off on the request, she handed it back to him.

"There you go. Was there anything else on your mind?"

It was as though Captain Janeway could read minds. Icheb briefly wondered if that was training all Starfleet captains received, or if it was a prerequisite for becoming one. He would have to investigate this in greater detail.

"... Yes, Captain. I would appreciate some personal advice. Do you think it is wise to pursue a romantic relationship with Ensign Wildman?"

Again Captain Janeway's eyebrows rose a few millimeters. "You haven't asked her yet?"

"No, ma'am!" Icheb replied hurriedly, horrified at the implication that he would go against protocol, "I didn't have permission yet."

"Ah, yes, of course. Well, part of life is taking risks, Icheb."

"Yes, of course, Captain, but Ensign Wildman is..." Even after all these years, he still sometimes struggled presenting his emotions. "She is extremely vital to me. I do not wish to sour our friendship."

Captain Janeway leaned on her elbows upon the desk. "That's not a given. I had a very close friend at the Academy who asked me out when I wasn't interested. We stayed friends afterwards."

"I have read similar advice. However, Nao- Ensign Wildman's friendship is one of the most valuable aspects of my life." Having come upon a conundrum, Icheb furrowed his brows and focused his eyes (if not his mind) on the PADD in his hands.

"I have read about this sensation many times, but it is still strange to experience it," he commented, turning his gaze towards the Captain in hopes of clarification, "I would more readily sacrifice my associations with the entirety of the Voyager crew than with Ensign Wildman."

"Sounds like you're stuck," Captain Janeway commented, a small smile growing upon her lips, "Seems you'd better ask her out."

"But I cannot risk losing her!" Icheb exclaimed, to his surprise as much as the Captain's.

"How are you going to feel if you never ask her out, and she ends up dating someone else?" the Captain challenged. Icheb felt like he'd been hit in the stomach. He had thought of that eventuality before, but to hear it from the Captain made it somehow more real.

"I... I would be heartbroken, Captain."

"Then it seems there is only one reasonable course of action, Lieutenant Junior Grade."

"Yes, Captain. Thank you." His mind buzzing with ways to 'ask out' Naomi, Icheb left without even waiting for permission to do so.

* * *

"... Oh, and Icheb stopped by today," Kathryn said three hours later, as she and Chakotay were reviewing the events of the day. He looked up from his report and raised his eyebrows. "Oh really? Nothing serious, I hope."

"Certainly nothing surprising. He formally requested permission to 'initiate a romantic relationship' with Naomi," Kathryn replied, quoting from the copy of the form Icheb had sent her.

Chakotay barked out a happy laugh, and Kathryn couldn't help but join. "Really? That explains why he's been so pensive recently."

"You know," Kathryn teased, shaking her PADD at her first officer, "I don't recall either you or Tom requesting permission. B'elanna I would expect to ignore the rules, but my own first officer?"

Chuckling, Chakotay leaned back on the couch. "Sorry, Kathryn. Guess it was my old Maquis ways."

"Well, don't let it happen again," she ordered, grinning. Brandishing his wedding ring, Chakotay replied, "Don't worry, Captain, I won't."

* * *

"Ensigns Ashmore and Wildman, the bio-neural gel packs by intersect 14 are acting up again. Go help Lieutenant Icheb fix them," Lieutenant Nicoletti ordered, handing them both equipment cases. Working with Icheb? Cool. Even though Naomi had no particular desire to go work in the Jefferies tubes, it was worth it to see Icheb. Because he's a good friend. No other reason, of course.

When Naomi and Ashmore arrived in intersect 14, there was already an opened tool case and a neatly folded jacket laying on the floor. Clanking sounds emanating from one of the hatches suggested where Icheb was working. In just his undershirt, apparently. Well, and presumably pants too. ... Why did she feel the need to make that clear?

"I'll get the pack down here," Ashmore said, gesturing to the tube to the left of Icheb's, "You wanna help the Lieutenant?"

Before Naomi could respond, Ashmore disappeared down the Jefferies tube. She could have sworn he'd winked at her. How entirely uncalled for.

Pulling off her own jacket and dropping it on the floor next to Icheb's, Naomi crawled into the tube. If he found it hot, she definitely would; since she'd grown up in a perfectly controlled environment, she wasn't used to temperature differences. And it was definitely hot here. Geez, was the whole ship running a fever or something?

She could see Icheb's feet - he was laying down - so she tried to approach as quietly as possible. Once she got in range she stretched out and playfully yanked on his boot. His sweaty face appeared over his shoulder, with a very charming mixture of surprise and, upon recognition, happiness.

"Na- Ensign Wildman! Have you come to assist me, or simply to distract me from my work?"

He was distracted by her being here? Really? But then she realized he was referring to her pulling on his foot. Of course. What else would he have meant?

"I hear the gel packs are misbehaving," she replied, crawling to his side. Scooting the equipment set further along the crawlway to give them some space, she folded her legs under her and bent over to look at what he was working on.

"So, what can I do?" she asked.

It was a very tight space they had to work in, so it was good they were such close friends. Naomi's knees were pressed against Icheb's shoulder, and given the confined area, their hands kept brushing. If they hadn't been such good friends it might have been... awkward. Fortunately they were, so it... wasn't. He was injecting thermal grease between a temporary fin plate and the gel's support structure, while she welded just behind to keep the grease in. He had to lay on his back to do so, meaning that she was leaned over him. Not a problem at all for friends.

Not at all distracted by Icheb's presence directly below her, Naomi accidentally moved a bit too fast, catching some grease before it had the chance to sink in between the plates. A tiny spark shower burst forth, and several white-hot particles of grease fell on Icheb's face. Thank god he was wearing safety glasses.

"Oh no! I'm sorry!" she exclaimed as he grunted almost inaudibly at the pain. Putting down the welding torch, Naomi quickly wiped off her hand on her pants before licking a finger and pressing it to the worst burn.

"I'm so sorry, Icheb. Does it hurt?"

It took him a moment to respond. Naomi was suddenly thankful that she was already flushed from the heat, because he was just staring up at her. His hands had lowered from their work, and he seemed almost frozen in place. A few strands of hair were sticking out from his impeccably slicked-down head, so Naomi unthinkingly reached out and smoothed them back into place. Icheb just stared.

"No," he said after a year or two.

Reluctantly Naomi withdrew her finger from his face. He had nice skin.

"I-I mean, yes, it does hurt," Icheb corrected hurriedly, pointing to an unmarked spot on his cheek, "Here."

"Icheb, it's not even red there..." It had started off as a gentle teasing, but Naomi's brain caught up with her as she was speaking. Why would he lie about that, unless...

Hesitatingly Naomi licked her finger again and pressed it to the supposed wound.

"Is that better?" she asked softly, allowing the smallest hint of flirtation to sneak into her voice.

"Yes. Thank you." He was so intently focused on her she wondered how he had the mental capacity to speak. Not that she was any better.

Moving very cautiously, Naomi unfolded her legs down the crawlway, next to his body. Maintaining contact with his supposed wound, she settled herself into a reclining position on one elbow. Her hand splayed out on his cheek, ostensibly to merely aid in supporting her finger.

"I'll have to hold it a while, to get all the heat out," she said, proud of her quick lie-inventing prowess. They both knew what she'd said was nonsense, but it'd give her a fall-back position should this encounter turn bad.

"Of course," he acknowledged, his lips barely moving. Not that she was watching them.

A crazy idea sprung to mind. It was risky, but it just might work. After all, Naomi never turned down a challenge. Or a dangerous mission. Even when maybe she should have. But that was besides the point.

Slowly sliding her fingers away, letting them trace down his cheek for a moment before breaking contact, Naomi leaned forward. Trying to ignore her pounding chest and twisted stomach and tense muscles, Naomi craned down and chastely kissed Icheb's cheek.

"It's an old Human saying," she said, perhaps a bit too quickly, when she pulled away, "'A kiss makes it better'."

Icheb, bless him and curse him, didn't react. He just lay there looking at her with those powerful eyes of his. His jaw was tense and his mouth was pressed into a line. Not unhappy - more like he was trying to control his expression. He was doing an unfortunately good job of it, too. But he also wasn't complaining, or looking uncomfortable. Well, not bad uncomfortable. Throwing caution to the solar wind, Naomi leaned towards him once more and kissed him, full on the lips. Though she couldn't be sure in her worried state, it felt like he returned the pressure.

When she pulled away, Icheb asked tensely, "Am I injured there?"

Crap. "No." Oh god, let there be a red alert.

"That was not for medicinal purposes?"

Giving a little, hitched sigh, Naomi murmured miserably, "No." Crapcrapcrap, she'd misread everything and now everything was going to be awkward and-

A miracle occurred. Icheb smiled.

"I am glad it was not for medicinal reasons," he said softly. Icheb mirrored her pose, propping himself up on one elbow. They regarded each other for a lifetime, Naomi's heart beating out of her chest. Then Icheb unsurely leaned in and kissed her. His neck was turned at an awkward angle to avoid her horns, but she didn't quite feel bad enough to stop.

Icheb's hand slid over her side and up her back, holding her closer. His arm was hot against hers, the touch of his skin igniting a fire in her chest. Naomi wrapped her arms around his neck, causing them to tip over as they lost the support of her elbow. But Icheb, being dedicated to seeing a task through to completion, did not falter. He was leaned over her now, just a little, and when she opened her eyes during a breather she almost lost her breath again. The lighting was behind his head, shining bright through his sweetly ruffled hair. Only Icheb could make ruffled hair a sweet sign of affection; he would never allow his hair to get in such a state unless there was something very important distracting him. From the affection in his gaze, she could guess what had distracted him so.

"Naomi... this is... amazing," he whispered, craning down to plant a peck on the tip of her nose.

"I really hope this isn't a temporal schism or alien influence or something," she said, only half-joking. This had worked out way too well to be reality.

Icheb chuckled and slid his arm under her head to give her a pillow.

"I will be sure to check the sensors when I return to astrometrics," he murmured, kissing her again.

* * *

They eventually got back to their duty, and soon the gel pack was ready to go. Bizarrely, when they emerged into the intersect, Ashmore was already gone. Having gone through too many mysterious crew disappearances, Naomi hailed him over comm, but he was fine. He'd finished quickly and returned to engineering. It was strange, because he almost sounded like he was suppressing a chuckle, but that wouldn't make any sense, would it?

Brushing it off, Naomi turned to look at her... suitor? Boyfriend? What were they now? She knew what _he_ was: he was really hot, and not just in temperature. As he'd grown up he'd put on a bit of muscle. Naomi was very appreciative of his undershirt, which generously revealed his shapely arms. He still had an implant on his upper arm, the gray tendrils of Borg wiring tracing around his bicep, but that hardly bothered her. And thanks to the sweaty conditions and some totally unknown force pressing against his chest a few minutes ago, his shirt also showcased his chest quite nicely. Those pectorals... They were _definitely_ fully developed now.

"Would you like me to update your request when I update mine?" Icheb asked, smoothing down his hair. Man, someone had really messed it up. Naomi felt no regrets.

"Hmm? What request?"

"For permission to pursue a relationship. When I spoke to Captain Janeway about mine she had apparently already read yours, since she knew immediately who I was referring to." Suddenly his brow furrowed with concern and he amended, "Unless that was for someone else..."

"Huh? What are you-... Wait, you asked for permission to date me?"

"Yes, of course. It's procedure when two officers are involved. I take it you filed no such request?" Though he was clearly relieved that she hadn't been requesting permission for a relationship with someone else, she could also detect the typical resigned exasperation at her blatant disregard for the rules.

"Icheb, I didn't know I was gonna kiss you until I did," Naomi laughed. Before he could respond she encircled his neck with her arms and kissed him again, just because she could now. His reaction time was improving, as he quickly embraced her.

When they parted, he gave her a lopsided smile. "I spent three weeks planning how to initiate a first kiss, and you do it on impulse," he commented ruefully.

"Sorry," she chuckled, "Don't let that stop you from whatever you had planned, though." Everything he'd said sunk in. "Wait, you've been planning this for weeks?"

"Of course. Everything must be perfect."

"Awww, Icheb, that's really sweet!" In fact, it earned him another kiss. Naomi was really enjoying this new method of rewarding him.


	2. Fessing Up

Seeing as she was an officer, Naomi felt it necessary to remain calm and collected at all times. Therefore, though she was ecstatic about the proceedings of the Jefferies Tube Injury, she maintained a passive exterior for the rest of the day. Several people asked her what was so funny, when she'd randomly burst out in giggles, or why she was smiling at the astrometrics panel, but that was surely coincidence. And it was definitely unrelated that her mom invited her over for dinner. They had dinner together all the time. It was totally by chance.

When the doors slid open, Mom looked up from the plates she was setting on the table. She waited until the door was shut before crossing her arms across her chest and giving Naomi a most knowing look. Whoops.

"So, I hear you've been a giggling wreck today," Mom said, fighting a losing battle against a smile. "Did he finally ask you out?"

" _Mom_! What- who- how did you-"

Mom allowed a laugh and waved a hand. "Word gets around. B'elanna wanted to know if you'd gotten a promotion. I assumed I would have heard if you had," she explained, emphasizing the last statement to make it clear that was in fact necessary.

"Why would Lieutenant Torres think I'd been promoted?" Seeing as Naomi was no longer a little girl, but rather a Starfleet officer, she thought it only proper to refer to B'el- to _Lieutenant Torres_ by her rank.

"Dear, you've spent most of today acting like you won a spaceship, if my sources are to be trusted." Mom pulled out a chair for Naomi and then took a seat. Getting the hint, Naomi sat at the table and braced herself for an interrogation.

"Now, obviously you are a grown woman and don't have to tell me anything," Mom reassured, reaching over to hold the hand Naomi had rested on the table, "But if you don't mind sharing, I would love to know how it all happened." There was a pause, and then Mom added almost as an afterthought, "Oh, and I invited him over for dinner too. He should be here in about half an hour."

Naomi could feel her treacherous cheeks burning. Dang, she'd definitely have to work on that if she was ever going to be a captain. Captains don't blush.

"Mom- how- why...?" Captains also don't blabber like idiots.

"Well, I figured if it was anything other than Icheb-" Here Naomi's cheeks turned redder, if that was possible. "- you would have told me by now. But I know how reserved you are about how you feel for him."

" _Mom_!" Naomi exclaimed in a most un-officer-like manner. Mom just laughed again.

"If it makes you feel any better, he sounded as embarrassed as you. You two are so adorable together," she sighed happily. Naomi was going to die.

But captains don't wuss out, especially not over their personal lives. So Naomi took a deep breath, willed her cheeks to cut it out with the blushing, and reported on the day's events.

* * *

When the door buzzed, Naomi contemplated having Mom get it. But Mom made it clear that was not a viable option, so Naomi got up with an eye roll and went to the door.

Icheb was wearing his formal uniform, along with a pretty terrified expression. Most people probably wouldn't have realized he was anything more than a little uncomfortable, but Naomi knew him better than almost anybody.

There was a moment's hesitation, as both parties tried to decide how to properly acknowledge each other. Then Naomi decided that captains face when they're found out and accept the consequences, so she kissed him. It was a brief peck on the lips, and it looked like he was about to be eaten by a bear. His eyes darted instantly to Mom, who Naomi couldn't see but was willing to bet was grinning.

"Hey," Naomi said, her voice unexpectedly high. It was almost like she was tense, which would of course be silly. There was no reason to be tense. She was a grown woman in a relationship- there her mind trailed off into warm, happy thoughts at the realization she was in a _relationship_ with Icheb. Geez, she really liked this guy.

Going all-out, Naomi grabbed his hand and pulled him to the table. "Hello, Icheb," Mom welcomed, smiling.

"Hello, Lieutenant Wildman," Icheb said, stiff-backed and with an almost stony tone. Naomi squeezed his hand, and he momentarily looked over at her and gave her a heart-meltingly warm smile. She almost kissed him again.

Returning his attention to Mom, Icheb cleared his throat and began, "Lieutenant Wildman, I have studied Earth customs thoroughly, and I know that we have known each other a long time but it seems proper to introduce myself nonetheless. Even though you of course are not the one to decide what Ensign Wildman does - I do not wish to imply she cannot make her own choices - still, as you are her mother I understand you will wish to know more about me-" He paused when Mom held up a hand.

"Icheb, it's alright. I've been hoping for this for a long time. Now sit down."

Naomi had seldom seen him more relieved.

She held his hand for most of dinner. After all, they had a lot of time to make up for.

* * *

Icheb walked her back to her room. He'd started off without offering his arm or anything, so she had to take matters - and his arm - into her own hands. He didn't seem to mind, if the sweet little smile on his lips was any indication.

Since no one else was in the hallway, Naomi allowed herself a moment of weakness and rested her cheek on his shoulder.

"This is really nice, Icheb," she said quietly. He reached over and squeezed her wrist.

"Indeed. This is... I am very glad you reciprocate my feelings."

Naomi gave a happy sigh, and they walked in silence for a few moments.

"Naomi... It is customary for couples to refer to each other by specialized terms of endearment. What would you like me to call you?"

Her heart flip flopped at the thought. Mom was right - they're such a cute couple.

"Uh... Well, I dunno. Whatever comes to you," she answered after a bit of thought. That did not seem like a satisfactory answer to him.

"Given my age at assimilation, I am not well versed in romantic protocols-" Icheb was cut off by Naomi's laugh.

"Yeah, I can tell by you calling it 'protocol'," she teased, before mollifying him with, "The whole point is to call me something no one else does. Something special. So just use whatever feels right."

"But my feelings cannot be trusted on such an important matter..."

Naomi pulled him to a stop and held his head in her hands. "Seems to me your feelings were pretty accurate when you decided to ask me out," she teased, kissing him before he could respond.

"I was advised by Commander Chakotay and Seven," Icheb admitted guiltily. Naomi wasn't sure how to take that, so she asked, a little apprehensively, "What, did they tell you to date me?"

"Commander Chakotay advised that would be the best course of action given all the known parameters."

"Which were...?"

"... That I care deeply about you," he answered, his voice low but unusually warm, "He said it might help cure the Rhopalocera infestation in my stomach."

She blinked at him a moment, trying to remember her biology classes.

"... Butterflies in your stomach?" she filled in unsurely.

"Yes," he said, reaching up to hold one of her hands, which still rested on his cheek, "Whenever I am around you I experience an attack of butterflies in my stomach. I understand it is a physiological reaction to proximity with someone for whom one feels a... special affection."

"You sweet talker, you," Naomi murmured, smirking as she kissed him again.

* * *

When they reached her room Icheb paused a polite distance away.

"Goodnight, Ens- Naomi," he said, his voice softening at her name. She couldn't help but grin. Her boyfriend - her _Icheb_ \- was bidding her goodnight. She'd kind of given up on being in a relationship until they reached Earth, given the available pool of eligible people and Icheb's apparent brotherly feeling. God, she had never been so happy to be wrong.

"Goodnight, Icheb," she replied, resisting the urge to drag him inside for a cuddle. Though it would be perfectly innocent, she knew it would not be seen as such to any potential witnesses. And, she had to admit, he was _very_ attractive. Best to just avoid the temptation altogether for now. They had their whole lives for that.

"I understand it is customary to wait a few days before reinitiating contact," he said, "But if you are agreeable I would like to bypass that particular tradition."

"Sounds good to me. Wanna do lunch or something tomorrow?" Naomi asked.

His little closed-lips smile was so dang cute. "I would very much enjoy that."

"It'll probably be around the ship by 1400 that we're dating," she laughed.

"Is that an acceptable means of dissemination?" Icheb inquired, his brow furrowed in concern, "I can devise some other method if that would be preferable."

"Nah, I think a photon torpedo volley in the shape of 'Naomi and Icheb are dating' might be a bit much," she joked, smirking at him. He nodded with fake sageness, "Yes, I believe that may not be greeted with pleasure on the bridge."

Naomi expressed her agreement by kissing him, because she had wanted to when he joked like that for a long time. She liked a man with a sense of humor. Who would have figured that would turn out to be an ex-Borg? The galaxy works in mysterious ways.

When they parted, Icheb quipped, "I am glad you agree."

Wrapping her arms around his neck, she smiled at him. "Do you enjoy my method of expressing my agreement?" she asked innocently.

"Very much so," he responded, pulling her close for another kiss.

After a while they separated. Smoothing down his ruffled hair, Icheb asked, "Shall I meet you in astrometrics at 1300? That is when your shift ends, correct?"

"Yep. I'll be looking forward to it," Naomi said, her cheeks warm and pink.

"So will I," he said with another of those smiles.

Naomi had some very unusual, but very pleasant dreams that night.

* * *

When the doors slid open at 1301 (not that she was keeping track), the first thing she saw was a huge bouquet of red roses. Her coworkers saw them too, and she could practically feel their gazes turning unanimously towards her.

Icheb closed the distance and reverentially handed over the flowers to her.

"They apparently symbolize romantic affection," he explained when she looked at him quizzically. Then, just to remove any shred of doubt from the minds of the onlookers, he leaned over and kissed her. The surprised gasp and subsequent excited whispering was extremely satisfying. As were the double-takes they encountered on their way to the mess hall.

When they sat opposite each other at their favorite spot by a window, Naomi stretched her hand across the table to rest on top of his.

Icheb leaned over and whispered in a jokingly conspiratorial tone, "What do you estimate is the probability of our detection?"

Mimicking his posture and voice, she replied, "I suspect that we may, in fact, have been discovered."

"Should we take evasive action, Ensign?"

"I don't think we can avoid this, Lieutenant. We'd best brace for impact."

"Pay up!" Tom hissed, grinning ear to ear. Harry just sighed.

* * *

Naomi ran over her list again. She had a lot to discuss with Dad during this comm call, and she didn't want to forget anything. Her certification as a comm officer, junior class (which she'd mostly gotten because it sounded interesting); the flowers she'd hybridized in her spare time; some information about a species they'd met recently that she just _knew_ he'd love to hear about; and, of course, Icheb. That was gonna be awesome to see his reaction. She was pretty excited.

Naomi looked up from her PADD when the door to astrometrics slid open. Finally! The person before her had sure used all their time-

"Icheb?!" she exclaimed, staring at him. To the trained eye he was a strange mixture of relief and residual tension.

"Hello, Naomi," he said in a fairly even tone, leaning in to rest his forehead ridge gently against her horns. "Your father is waiting for you."

"Wha- who the heck were _you_ talking to?" she sputtered, mildly hurt that he hadn't told her. Either he'd made a new friend back in the Alpha Quadrant or he'd been in communication with Starfleet. Either option seemed to warrant telling one's girlfriend.

Icheb simply gave her a smirk. "Do you always interrogate the previous user?" he teased. Before she could ask any more questions he briefly kissed her, said, "I need to return to my duties," and disappeared down the corridor. Hmph. She'd get the information out of him somehow.

As always, she had a great time talking with Dad. Despite having never seen her in person or spent more than eleven minutes straight together, he obviously loved her like any father loved his daughter. He shared her fascination with xenoflora, which they spent the majority of the call discussing. But he also asked her a lot of questions about what she'd been up to since the last connection. He was thrilled to hear about her certification, her new duties in astrometrics... Everything, really.

Finally Naomi reached the last point on her list. She paused for a moment, trying to remember a particularly good lead-in she'd come up with in the sonic shower this morning.

"He seems like a nice young man, by the way," Dad said, his lips curving up and his eyes twinkling mischievously.

Instinctively, Naomi's cheeks heated up. " _Dad_! Who are you talking about?"

"Lieutenant Junior Grade Icheb. He was very careful to make it clear he's only Junior Grade." Dad chuckled to himself. "He's a very... Upfront young man. Very honest - which I appreciate, naturally."

"What- he was talking to _you_?" Naomi demanded.

"Yes. He said he wanted to introduce himself and told me all about his qualifications. Very thorough. He also spoke at length about how meaningful your friendship is to him. Lots of high praise, which is of course entirely deserved, sweetie."

"What did he say?!"

"I assume you're asking if he told me when he was going to ask you out. The answer is no, he didn't. Sorry, sweetie."

Well, at least she could still surprise Dad with the status of her relationship. But geez, way to ruin the build-up, Icheb.

So Naomi explained all the events leading up to her present relationship with her boyfriend. Dad listened intently, clearly trying to repress a grin.

Once she reached present day she stopped, awaiting his response.

"I don't know if she ever told you, but your mother knew ages ago that you and Lieutenant Junior Grade Icheb would be a couple," he commented, still smiling, "I think it was three or four years ago. Oh, I remember, it was three and a half because it was prompted by his birthday present to you. What was it, again? I recall really liking it."

It'd been a compendium of all the flora Voyager had encountered in the Delta Quadrant, as well as every new plant they'd found records of. The final chapters were about all the plants on Icheb's home planet. It must have taken ages to put together. She still read it frequently.

When she reminded Dad he grinned. "A man after my own heart. I approve."

Naomi laughed, the sound ringing throughout astrometrics. "That's your criteria? That the guy likes xenoflora?" she teased.

Dad's expression grew solemn. "Of course not, sweetie. Your mother says he's a very good young man, and I like to think her taste in men is impeccable."

" _Dad_!" Naomi couldn't help but laugh again.


	3. Falling in Love

Having grown tired of memorizing Ferengi Rules of Acquisition for her liaison certification, Naomi looked up at Icheb. They were in his sparsely decorated quarters. Chakotay had encouraged Icheb years ago to get his own living space, complete with a regeneration alcove. Over time Icheb had collected a few knickknacks, but generally as presents from others. Most of his decorations had been acquired on his birthday after being assigned quarters. Everyone had banded together to decorate the place for him, because all agreed he'd suck at it. There had been such an outpouring of gifts that they'd had to add extra shelves, which Icheb kept meticulously clean. So now his walls were covered in a mish-mash of cultural objects, from Tom's poster of some ancient Earth mode of transportation to a Bat'leth from B'elanna. Tuvok had presented Icheb with a lovely Kal-Toh set, which sat in a place of honor on his table. At Naomi's insistence there was a vase of flowers there, too, even though he didn't see the need for it. However, he _had_ replicated a few traditional Brunali decorations (out of a sense of duty rather than sentimentality, but it was still a good step). Chakotay had told Icheb to make a few holoimages of people he considered family, and these were scattered throughout the room. Chakotay and Seven's wedding photo hung from an ornately carved wooden stand. Chakotay had made that by hand from actual wood, collected during an away mission. Near the replicator sat a miniature version of Mezoti's old science project, the ants dutifully scurrying around inside the cube. Next to it was a picture of the four Borg children at Azan, Rebi, and Mezoti's going away party. Her smile was genuine, and the boys all did a pretty good job of faking. Other images of the children surrounded this one, showing happier times. Icheb had spent a lot of time on that. On his desk sat pictures from his Starfleet graduation ceremony, as well as his promotion to Lieutenant Junior Grade. Those had been gifts from Naomi, as well as the collage of photos of him with various crew members. It was funny to see how his posture changed as he grew older; he shifted closer to the other person and he looked more comfortable and happy. When she'd been making it she'd felt like the collage was practically tracing his deBorgification (as she liked to call it). She was pretty proud of her work.

But her favorite photo hung across from his regeneration alcove. It was a large holoimage of Naomi herself, caught mid-laugh, her face smeared with sooty thermal grease. Icheb had been wandering around for days, updating the crewman images, when he'd stopped by Engineering. It had been short-staffed that day, so when a minor fire broke out in some overheated wiring, Naomi had volunteered to handle it. She had just climbed out of the Jefferies tube when he showed up. Her work buddy, having noticed her hands were dirty, had jokingly wiped them off on Naomi's already messy uniform. Words and thermal grease had been playfully exchanged, and Icheb had just stood there unnoticed and snapped away. Out of all the pictures of her, Naomi would not have guessed this would be the one he would choose to see every time he regenerated, and she'd told him so. But he had just smiled and said that it 'encapsulated the beauty and chaos of Ensign Naomi Wildman perfectly'. She wasn't sure if that was a compliment or not, but he'd kissed her so she guessed so. After all, that was the last thing he saw before sleeping, so he must not find it too revolting.

Smiling at the thought, Naomi looked up at Icheb. They were sitting together on his sofa, him straight-backed as ever and her stretched out along its length, leaning against him. Her feet were propped up on the arm, which used to horrify him. He'd adapted to a lot of her so-called rule breaking. Presumably feeling her weight shift as she turned to see him, Icheb glanced over at her.

"I appear to be under surveillance," he commented calmly, lowering his PADD of astrometrics data.

"Indeed you are, Lieutenant."

"Might I ask the cause?"

"You're cute," she replied instantly.

He blinked, clearly not having expected this answer. Then a smile stretched across his lips.

"Not as attractive as you are," he murmured, leaning over to press a light kiss on her forehead.

Sitting more fully upright, Naomi put her hands on his shoulders and gently pushed him into a reclined position in the corner. His brow furrowed slightly in confusion, but he allowed it without complaint. Curling her legs on the sofa, Naomi rested her head on Icheb's chest and initiated Cuddling maneuvers. After a moment's nervous stillness on Icheb's part, Naomi prompted quietly, "You can put your arms on my back. It's called cuddling."

She heard the clink of his PADD on the window sill, and then the warm weight of his arms around her.

"Yes, I know," he said stiffly, awkwardly, "I remember reading about it."

Naomi sat up a little so she could look him in the eyes. "Icheb, if this is making you uncomfortable-"

"No, not at all," he cut in hastily, "I just... I am glad we have reached this level of intimacy. According to Earth customs, cuddling does not begin until the participants feel safe and comfortable together. I understand it is an important milestone."

"Well, I wouldn't say it's a big deal-" Naomi stopped herself when she looked up at him and saw the slight drop in his expression. "Not that it's not-... Nevermind. Of course I feel safe and comfortable with you, Icheb. I always have. It's hard not to trust you, ya know." To emphasize the point, she snuggled closer. She could hear his heartbeat, the chambers rhythmically expanding and contracting. It was very soothing, much as her mother's had been when Naomi was a little girl. It was a constant in a chaotic world, though of course in reality it was most certainly not; heartbeats stopping was a leading cause and/or result of a chaotic world. Icheb's heart better not stop beating any time soon. Naomi was most definitely not prepared for that chaos in her world. She needed him. She'd always needed him, to some extent. First as someone closer to her age, then as an older and more mature friend, then as a friend/schoolgirl crush, and finally as her boyfriend. Later he would take on the role of fiancé and then husband and she'd need him even more.

Whoa, hold up. _Fiancé? Husband?!_ Where had that come from? Geez, she'd barely been dating the guy a few months and she was already thinking about that? Seemed pretty premature.

But was it, really? Naomi craned her neck again to catch his gaze. His lips were turned up slightly at the corners, his eyes unusually soft and warm. Naomi's heartbeat sped up. It kinda looked like he felt the same way. Of course, she could just be projecting her feelings on him. Her observations were heavily susceptible to bias. She needed independent analysts.

"Naomi... This is... wonderful," Icheb murmured, pulling her closer to kiss her temple.

For the moment, she was quite content to accept her biased analysis.

* * *

"Mom?"

She looked up from her PADD of information about a new species Dad was researching (Naomi's parents were such nerds, which was awesome).

"Yes, honey?"

"I... Yesterday, I was cuddling with Icheb and... It'd be crazy to even be thinking about the long term at this point, wouldn't it?"

A knowing smile slowly grew on Mom's face.

"I don't think so," she replied, lowering the PADD, "How long term are you talking?"

Naomi swallowed and idly poked at a gently spinning Ktarian kinetic sculpture that Dad had sent the replicator specs for.

"...marriage," she answered after an internal battle.

The reasonable reaction would have been for Mom to say that no, that's nuts, you two have only been dating a few months, there's no reason to even consider that at this point. But what Mom actually did was smile wider. "Well, I wouldn't advise it immediately-"

"No, of course not!" Naomi interjected hurriedly.

"- but we all know that's what's going to happen eventually," Mom finished, incredibly satisfied with herself.

Naomi's heart pounded against her ribs. Really? So she wasn't crazy?

Mom reached out a hand across the table to squeeze Naomi's wrist. "Honey, the entire ship has known since you were fifteen that you two will eventually get married. To be honest, I first suspected when you were twelve."

Naomi's cheeks flushed Red Alert red, or at least they felt like it.

"I think you two complement each other quite nicely," Mom continued, clearly recognizing that Naomi was in no state to carry a conversation, "And to be honest, honey, neither of you has a lot of options. Unless we gain an incredibly charming crew member, I don't really see what could distract you two from each other. Tuvok said that you and Icheb getting married is the only logical conclusion, as a matter of fact."

Well then, if Tuvok thought it was logical, there was no arguing. But there was still one concern...

"But... How can you be so sure Icheb would want to marry me?"

Naomi had seen that smile before, when she'd asked as a child if it was even possible that she'd get into Starfleet Academy. It was the smile Mom had when she was one hundred percent confident in her answer.

"Honey, your Lieutenant Junior Grade has been in love with you as long as you've been in love with him."

It took Naomi's brain a moment to process. He... he loved her? Wait a minute, she loved him?! Since when?

Since she'd been capable of being in love with someone, she realized. As she had grown and matured, as romance and all it entailed became a part of her worldview, she had slowly but surely fallen in love with Icheb. There was no moment of sudden clarity, no event she could point to as the cause. He had simply become a fixture in her life; a stalwart ally, a good friend, and a trusted confidant. Naomi always delighted in his company (almost always, anyway), as he seemed to with her. When she got good news, he was the one who heard second (Mom, of course, being first, though even that had been changing recently). Though the crew of Voyager was and forever would be her family, Icheb ranked somehow higher. Their relationship was closer, dearer, than any other she had.

Ensign Naomi Wildman was in love with Lieutenant Junior Grade Icheb. And, it seemed, Lieutenant Junior Grade Icheb was in love with Ensign Naomi Wildman. Holy crap.

This revelation was too pivotal to be based on a single datum point, though. Naomi needed a larger sample size before any meaningful conclusions could be drawn.

 _(Icheb loves me!)_

* * *

"So, what can I do for you?" Commander Chakotay asked, his mouth stretched into a broad but thin smile. He put his tray on the table and slid into his seat, politely not noticing Naomi's fingers drumming nervously on the surface.

"I... need your advice, Commander," she replied, regret growing with every second for asking him to meet with her. This was ill-advised. This was madness. But she was stuck now, and Captains don't wimp out on missions.

"Well, that's what I'm here for," Commander Chakotay grinned.

Naomi glanced around the lounge again, just to make sure Icheb hadn't left his shift halfway through or something. Coast was clear... so far. Best to be on yellow alert.

"I... To be honest I don't really need to know, I mean, most people don't and they do just fine, but I'm really curious and it's not like we're normal in any other way, but still maybe it's better I don't know." She sighed. "I don't know."

Chakotay chuckled as he took a bite of his breakfast. "Sounds like a real problem," he commented, his voice lilting in that familiar, teasing way of his.

Naomi stared at him for what felt like an eternity, trying to find the words to describe her problem.

Then an image of Icheb's warm, smiling face flashed through her mind.

"I'm in love with Icheb," she blurted out, to her shock but apparently not Chakotay's.

"Mmhmm," he acknowledged, taking a bite of a Bajoran pancake.

"... What, that's it? No surprised gasps or anything?" Naomi asked, trying to sound teasing to cover up her embarrassment at such a blatant admission.

"First officers don't show surprise," Chakotay joked, "Ever." He partook of some scrambled eggs before adding, "Besides, that's hardly news to me, or anyone on this crew. Except Icheb," he amended quickly, when Naomi's expression momentarily fell.

"But... does he...? Is he in...?"

"That is a question you should be asking him, not me," Chakotay advised. But his eyes were still twinkling mischievously, so she waited for his next statement: "But let's just say I'd wager the ship on it. Personal opinion only, of course," he added, holding up his hands in a gesture of openness.

Ensign Naomi Wildman had a difficult time focusing on her work that day.

* * *

The evening had been wonderful. Icheb had, unsurprisingly, put a great deal of effort into it. First off, he'd somehow managed to get them both the day off. Given how crappy Naomi's shift was, that part of the planning had probably been the most difficult. But it had been so worth it, which was admittedly easy for her to say since she hadn't been the one making the plans. It was wonderful to spend the whole day with Icheb. He'd come up with the right balance of planned activities and time to relax, which indicated to Naomi that Chakotay or Tom or someone had a hand in all this. Icheb probably would have booked the day solid in a sweetly misguided attempt to keep her entertained. He probably wouldn't understand the pleasure to be gotten from simply chilling together.

Even with the breaks, Icheb still managed to get a lot done. They went skydiving on Vulcan, swam in a coral reef on Risa, and played a friendly game of Velocity at Starfleet Academy. They picnicked in a forest that was too perfectly beautiful to actually exist, with imposing, snow-capped mountains reflecting in a mirror-like pond. It was really too romantic for him to be as surprised as he was when she tackled him to the ground and made out with him. He didn't seem to mind, though. And he was getting better at it, too, not that she was an expert. A few clandestine, hormonally-driven visits to the holodeck did not an expert make. Especially given how innocent she'd been at the time - the hot boy she'd made up had kept his hands very much to himself. Icheb did too, of course, and frankly Naomi wasn't quite ready for him not to. But she had this low, burning feeling that soon she would be. Besides, it wouldn't be like he'd be feeling anything new, since she had tackled him backwards and was laying on top of him. God, his legs tangling with hers, his strong arms holding her so tightly against his chest... She would be ready very soon at this rate.

After a very enjoyable while they both seemed to near their point of no return. Sensing this in the other, they broke apart and settled for cuddling. There was no point in rushing things, after all. And anyway, the waiting and the tension were half the fun. As they laid there in the sun, Naomi began to drowsily hope Icheb didn't have much else planned for the day. She could definitely go for a nap here in the sun, Icheb's chest warm against her cheek.

So naturally the Red Alert warning started blaring. Both young officers bolted upright as the holographic forest faded away to reveal the holodeck grid.

"All hands brace for impact!" Captain Janeway commanded over comm. The impact followed shortly after, rocking the ship. Naomi and Icheb exchanged a glance; they recognized that sound. That wasn't stray asteroids or confused baby space creatures. That was weapon blasts.

Time seemed to slow for Naomi. It had been a long time since Voyager had seen battle. Before she and Icheb had started dating, actually - seven, eight months maybe. She looked at him. His frame was pulled upright into full official position, ready for anything. Even in one of his geometric-design sweaters and casual slacks, Icheb looked like an officer. The only thing that wasn't professional was his expression. There was a little fear there, certainly, but mostly it was... desperation, almost. A stiller fear, not panicked rushing for safety. Fear of a future which was uncertain and yet so easily and terribly imagined. They could each think of a hundred ways this day could break their heart.

Well, at least they could stay together a while longer; their stations were relatively close to each other, so they could travel part of the way together. When they reached the doorway, though, Icheb stopped and grabbed her wrist. Pulling her back towards him, he cradled her head in his hands and leaned in. His forehead very carefully resting on her horns, Icheb said quietly, "I wanted to tell you over dinner, but I think it would be best if I say it now."

As urgently as she wanted to get to her post, Naomi could sense the weightiness of his coming proclamation. She grabbed the back of his hand and held tight, watching him expectantly.

"Naomi Wildman, I am in love with you," Icheb breathed fervently, his eyes searching hers.

Wow. The impact had certainly been dulled by her foreknowledge, but it still hit her hard. Icheb loved her, powerfully enough to say it. God, he _loved_ her! Burying her free hand in his hair, Naomi turned her head enough to allow her lips to safely reach his. Though brief, the kiss was passionate enough that she felt it adequately expressed her feelings. Nonetheless, when she released him she whispered, "I'm in love with you, too, Icheb."

He had such a handsome smile. If there hadn't been a Red Alert, he would already be on the floor again. But alas, duty called. They pulled apart, but Naomi retained custody of his hand. Even as they sprinted down the corridors, she held onto him. In the back of her mind, all she could think about is what she would regret not doing if one of them died today. Hence the hand-holding. He didn't seem to mind.


End file.
